The University of Nevada, Reno has a long and storied athletics tradition. Though often known as UNR within the state, the university prefers to be called simply Nevada for athletics purposes; its sports teams are nicknamed the Wolf Pack (always two words). They participate in the NCAA's Division I (FBS for football) and in the Western Athletic Conference.

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Men's basketball

In March 2004, the Wolf Pack men's basketball team qualified for the NCAA tournament and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in school history. The team earned a repeat trip in 2005 and beat Texas in the first round before falling to eventual national runner-up Illinois. The team returned for 2006 as a #5 seed but was upset in the first round by former Big Sky Conference rival Montana. They began the 2006-07 season ranked #24. The Pack's major star during this recent period of success was Nick Fazekas. In 2007, Nevada was ranked #9 in men's basketball, which is the highest ranking that Nevada has ever held. Guards Ramon Sessions and Marcellus Kemp both flirted with leaving as juniors for the NBA draft, however Kemp decided to remain at Nevada.

Football

The football team plays at Mackay Stadium, The modern Mackay Stadium was completed in 1965 with a seating capacity of 7,500. The facility has been expanded several times in the last 15 years and now seats 29,993. The 2008 football team finished with a record of 7-6, losing its bowl game to the University of Maryland 42-35. It was the fourth consecutive year that the team had made a bowl appearance, a first in school history. The team was lead by first team All WAC center Dominic Green and running back Vai Taua who lead the conference in rushing yards in addition to WAC offensive player of the year, quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Women's Softball

The softball team won its first WAC tournament title in 2006 and qualified for its first NCAA tournament since the program was reinstated in 2003. Jordan McPherson pitched all 41 innings for Nevada in the WAC tournament, without giving up a single earned run, while striking out 34 on the way to being named tournament MVP. The 2008 Nevada softball team finished the season ranked in both national Top 25 polls.The Wolf Pack was ranked No. 21 in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll and was No. 20 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25.Nevada went 44-18 and won the Western Athletic Conference regular season title. The Wolf Pack received an at-large bid to the NCAA Regionals and advanced to the championship game of the Los Angeles Regional against UCLA.

In 2008, Noelle Micka is the first Nevada player to earn second team All American. The freshman catcher is having one of the finest single-seasons in school history with a .396 batting average, 16 doubles, three triples and seven home runs. She has 76 hits, 41 runs and 38 RBI on the season and she leads the team in all seven of those statistical categories. She has already set single-season school records in hits and total bases and she is tied for the record in runs. Her batting average is also a school record as it stands now.Vanessa Briones capped an amazing season with the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year award last season and All Region Honors. After playing sparingly her first three seasons at Nevada, the senior outfielder emerged this year as one of the top offensive threats on the West Coast. In just 36 games, she batted .361 with 19 runs, 19 RBI, five doubles and five homes. She led the WAC in hitting with a whopping .429 average and a .755 slugging percentage. Vanessa joined Micka on the All-WAC first-team.Katie Holverson had one of the finest seasons of any pitcher in Nevada history. She went 20-6 with a 2.27 earned-run average on the year. She recorded 20 complete games and two shutouts on the year. She struck out 203 and walked just 73 on the season. In addition to being a dominant starter, she is an effective reliever as well as she led the WAC with six saves on the year, which is tied for seventh in the nation. That total of six saves is tied for seventh all-time in the WAC. She was a second-team All-WAC selection.

Other notable sports

• Other notable successes have come in rifle shooting. The Nevada rifle team placed second in the 2004 NCAA Rifle team championship, losing to national champion Alaska Fairbanks. As of 2008, the rifle team has been to seven consecutive NCAA championships.
• The volleyball team has qualified for the NCAA tournament five times in its history, all coming from at-large selections. (1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005).
• The baseball team has made four appearances in the NCAA regionals, in 1994, 1997, 1999 and 2000. They have compiled a record of 5-8 in NCAA games, losing to Stanford in the finals of the Palo Alto Regional in 1999. Nevada finished the 1994 season ranked 19th in the country.
• The soccer team won its first WAC tournament title in 2006 and qualified for its first NCAA tournament since the program's inception in 2000. Nevada faced Fresno State in the championship match and after 110 minutes of scoreless play, the two teams went into a shootout where Nevada prevailed 4-2 in penalty kicks.
• The swimming and diving team won the AIAW-Division II national title in 1979 and has won 6 conference championships since 1996. They won the Big West championship five years in a row from 1996 to 2000, and won the WAC title in 2007, 2008, and 2009.